The Kill Guide

Many series have deaths, such as Law and Order, Criminal Minds, CSI and even Monk...but not many are caused by a number of Serial Killers, one of which is the main (and title) character of the show, Dexter Morgan.

This article is created to demonstrate each character's kills, provide information about the killer, the victims, the order in which victims are killed, equipment used and various other information. It's not just Dexter here that gets the spotlight, the big serial killers such as The Icetruck Killer, The Skinner and Trinity are featured...alongside other murderers such as Boyd Fowler and even Mary, the First Nurse.

Contents

Basics about Murder

Murder is the act of taking someone's life without a legal means to do so, without remorse or without being self-defense. The act of committing murder is punishable (in most cases) by at least 25 years to life or execution. Those that commit murders are typically seen as Killers despite what sentence they receive. Very few people act as vigilante killers and take justice into their own hands, simply because they fear receiving a worse judgment themselves by the Legal System.

Killing an animal, killing in wartime, and killing in self-defense is not considered murder by the legal system. Certain religious or moral beliefs say otherwise.

A person who kills three or more people in three or more separate events is classified as a Serial Killer. Some people just so happen to kill multiple people in a single event, and thus wouldn't be considered Serial Killers, just Murderers.

A person who is killed by another is considered a Victim or in short, a Vic. Until the person is identified, they are referred to as John Doe or Jane Doe based on their sex. Anyone suspected of killing the victim is called a Suspect and sometimes a Perp, which is short for Perpetrator.

A typical murderer will use either a knife or a gun to kill someone, with a select few (that choose this option) that will work extensively to then cover their tracks as Forensic Specialists and Detectives with the Law Enforcement Agency will often attempt to solve a crime and catch the killer.

Certain killers will keep some sort of memento of their victims, a trophy of sorts. This trophy can be something that physically has to do with the victim (such as Dexter's blood-slides and Boyd's hair collection) or something that has to do with the location in which the victim was murdered or otherwise (such as the plaques from Four Walls One Heart that Trinity keeps from the houses he helped build in various cities). These trophies are typically considered very dear to a killer and having them exposed is a fear that any killer will experience.

Finally, some killers prefer that their victims are never found (such as Dexter Morgan and Boyd Fowler), some will leave their victims how they died (such as Trinity) and others will set their victims out on display for the world to see (such as the Ice Truck Killer, the Skinner, and the Doomsday Killers).

Below is information on each Serial Killer, their victims, the fate of each and methods used, including various other information (such as the particular ritual that Dexter uses for each victim, for example the corpses of children that Mike Donovan murdered).

The Bay Harbor Butcher

The main serial killer of the series, better known as Dexter Morgan, forensic and blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Homicide Department.

Traumatized at age 3 by watching the brutal murder of his mother, Laura Moser, Dexter kills murderers and cuts them up, similar to the way his mother died. Dexter distances himself from his crimes, often referring to his urge to kill as the dark passenger who takes over.

When Dexter was young, his adoptive father detective Harry Morgan recognized him as a budding psychopath and enlisted the help of Evelyn Vogel in creating a code for Dexter to live by that would prevent him from killing innocent people. Unlike other serial killers, Dexter never intends to kill anyone innocent and would never harm a child.

Source of Title

During Season 2, a pair of local scuba divers swim into the Bay Harbor in search of some rare kind of treasure only to discover multiple black trash bags along a trench. An expedition team then retrieves all the bags and it is revealed that they are multiple people (in pieces) who have been murdered. Originally thought to be connected to the Ice Truck Killer, the method at which they were dismembered is far different and thus a new term needed to be thought for this different killer. Based on the location and how the body parts were cut off, the Bay Harbor Butcher became the nickname for the killer, otherwise known as Dexter Morgan.

At the end of Season 2, Sgt. James Doakes was framed for the murders in Dexter's place. Before Dexter could decide to turn himself in, Lila murdered Doakes and thus the crimes were pitted on him regardless. Connections to Doakes being the butcher were stemmed in his violent behavior, stalking of Dexter Morgan and that Doakes' own father was a butcher. Also since he had previously killed at least two people (on duty, they were innocent kills)...further proof was thrown in his direction.

Reason To Murder

Dexter's reason for murder is complex and trained. Unlike most serial killers, he had someone to help him control his urge to kill and hone it based on a rule set: The Code of Harry. Because of Harry Morgan's help, the Dark Passenger's urge to kill is expended on those whose death would improve society.

Dexter has had the urge to kill ever since he was a young boy, caused by watching his mother Laura Moser be murdered with a chainsaw. After being "born" in blood as a "monster", Harry had to find a way to try and control it in Dexter.

With Dexter's finely honed ability to kill without being caught, he joined the Homicide department to not only discover new challenges but to further keep ahead of the game and find new kills.

The Kill

The kill itself is a well planned and thought out process that follows three basic steps:

Identify and Observe

Prepare and Capture

Ritual, Execute and Disposal

This represents Dexter's steps in acquiring a target.

Identify

Since Dexter has spent much of his time learning about killers and working with Homicide, he has extensive access to databases that would allow him to find out information about any potential targets. These databases can be utilized in multiple areas, such as a police database with names and pictures and the forensic equipment at his disposal within his own lab at the department.

The means at which Dexter discovers some of his targets are unknown, though it can be presumed that he follows information through the "wire" about any type of criminal that may have got off for killing multiple people or committing some crime that would fit The Code of Harry. While many killers have a police file, sometimes there is nothing to his use and he must find out his own information.

Observe

According to the code, Dexter must confirm the guilt of his victims. After confirming that the person he is vetting is guilty, Dexter will continue to observe the victim to determine how to kidnap them. The extensive process of observing gives Dexter the detailed layout of a person's schedule: where they'll be, when they'll be at these places and when Dexter can complete further steps. A frequent approach to hunting his targets is to meet them head on and learn based on the conversation they have. Dexter is a master at faking identities, having had over 20 aliases during the course of the show.

Prepare

The first and most important part of preparation is the Kill Room, which consists of plastic see-through sheeting covering every surface of the room to avoid leaving evidence.

The center of the kill room contains some form of table for the victim to lay on during the Ritual. Dexter prepares rolls of shrink wrap that will hold the victim to the table to prevent them from escaping.

Finally, Dexter leaves pictures of the victims, hung like sanctuaries around the target to let them know why they are there. The pictures Dexter shows the murders of their victims are evidence of the strong sense of justice that Dexter was born with.

Capture

Most times this is done outside of the area where the kill room. Dexter will typically stalk his victim, preparing for the grab by hiding in wait somewhere before jumping out with a needle filled with the animal tranquilizer, M99, to knock out his target. Occasionally Dexter will leave bait, perhaps involving a previous victim of the target, to lure them in for an easy capture. Dexter has been known to use other methods of obtaining his target than the needle of sedative, using wire to choke his victims or even choke holds to make them pass out.

After using whatever method to obtain the victim, Dexter uses either his own car or the victim's car to transport them to the location of the kill room.

Dexter has a very unique sense of justice and he believes that by placing his targets at death's door, he might as well have them see why they've been brought here. In the act known as the Ritual, Dexter's kill room becomes a shrine for the innocent lives who his target has killed, lined with photos and momentos, possibly even video footage. At the center of the room, his target is held to the table by plastic wrap or duct tape, depending on the strength and size of the victim.They are almost always naked under the plastic wrap, having been stripped of their clothes to allow Dexter to easily cut through their flesh after they die.

Dexter usually allows the victim to wake up on their own, which takes anywhere from 3 to 6 hours after capture.Dexter makes sure that the murderer knows that they are being killed for their crimes. Most of his victims respond with denial of their crimes, however almost all end up admitting their crimes in the end.

During the Ritual, Dexter uses a scalpel cut his victim's cheek. He takes a bit of their blood and creates a blood slide from the victim's blood as a trophy.

Execute

While he has killed victims in many ways, Dexter will almost always end the ritual by stabbing the victim in the heart. In some circumstances, Dexter kills his victims in the way that they killed theirs i.e. killing Santos Jimenez with a chainsaw. A common method that Dexter started out with in Season 1 involved using a cranial power saw to kill his victims most via driving it into their skull.

Disposal

After killing his victim, Dexter chops and saws their bodies into multiple pieces. After Dexter finishes removing body parts, he stuffs them in thick black trash bags along with whatever possessions the victim had on them.

The plastic sheeting in the kill room prevents any blood evidence from being left behind. The plastic sheeting is stuffed in additional trash bags. Dexter loads the bags into the back of his vehicle and makes his way out to his boat, loading them up and setting out to sea. He originally dumps the body bags into the Bay Harbor, but later dumps them in the gulf stream, where they will be taken far from Miami.

Dexter's Victims

Dexter Morgan has killed at least 135 people in the course of the series. He may have killed many more people, however they are unaccounted for.

NOTE: Because Dexter's original blood slides were out of his hands at the end of Season 2, Dexter had to refill the box in between the end of that season and the start of Season 3. It can also be assumed that Dexter has killed people between the time skip between Season 3 and Season 4.

Dexter did not start his blood slide collection until he killed Alex Timmons, which means that Alex could have been either Dexter's 3rd victim or a much later victim.

Before Season 1

All of the following victims lost their lives prior to the Mike Donovan's death. Some are shown within various seasons but all take place before the first episode.

Season 4

Season 5

Because the last episode of Season 4 carries on directly into the events of Season 5's opening episode, there is no time skip and Dexter did not kill anyone between that time. Thus, every kill now is for Season 5. there was a slip up in the episode where Dexter and Lumen went to Quinn's unit when Dexter found the photos of him and Lumen dumping garbage bags at sea in the night which were taken by that ex-cop working for Quinn who suspected Dexter of being up to something. the photos were in Quinn's bedside drawer and Lumen said to take them but Dexter said no because it would show someone had been there. well as far as i can see they were never removed from Quinn's bedside drawer implicating Dexter and Lumen. where are those photos what happened to them. a slip up i feel.

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8

Fate

It is unknown if Dexter Morgan ceases to kill after the series finale. After his sister, Debra Morgan, suffers complications from surgery after being shot by Oliver Saxon, she enters a vegetative state. Dexter shuts off her life support (rather than allow her to suffer) and dumps her body in the ocean. Debra is the final victim of Dexter Morgan. Dexter calls Hannah and Harrison to say goodbye, then drives his boat into a hurricane. His boat is found obliterated in the sea the next day by rescue boats and he is presumed dead. The final scene shows Dexter alive, living in self-imposed isolation, as he believes is a fitting punishment for "consuming" everyone he loves.